Starting next season, the GVA-Trophy will get a new main sponsor, and also new rules. They will abandon the current points-based system, and instead switch to a system with times, as if it was a road cycling tour.

The sum of the actual time differences, with a ceiling of 5 minutes (so max 5 minutes lost per 'stage' if you can't participate for some reason) will be the general classification.

I personally like this idea, especially as it's different from the other 2 main classifications; it should be interesting to follow and will hopefully bring back some kind of "internationalisation" to cyclo-cross.

I totally support this also, consistency will play a bigger factor and guys in that 2nd tier (anyone not named Nys, Stybar, Albert, or Pauwels) have more of a chance, might change a bit of the racing style too, in a race where you are not strong, limiting your losses where now you just phone it in and ride for training, and conversely, when it's a course that suits your strengths, you put as much time as possible into everybody, sprint right to the line, no cruising with a lead on the last lap (except for that last race!)
great idea

Lol, I was thinking yesterday that they should have a system like this and now it happened. Made my day.

Ryo Hazuki wrote:horrible. boonen just the same guy as years before and this course is too hard for him. that's why he rode like a coward there were at least 3 guys stronger than boonen today and none of them won: sagan, ballan, pozzato

The Hitch wrote:Goss will woop boonens candy a[color="Black"]ss[/color] in a sprint he cares about, any day of the week